Statement Regarding Recent Events at Paramus High School
(Statement of James Goodness, Vice Chancellor and Director of Communications, on Recent Events at Paramus Catholic High School)
On Friday, October 6, administration and staff of Paramus Catholic High School summoned local police to the campus following an altercation involving several student members of the football program and a member of the football coaching staff. At that time and in the days since, the school has taken all necessary steps to address this incident appropriately according to our policies and protocols, and in cooperation with local authorities. Any individuals who required medical attention at the time of the incident received it immediately. All involved in the matter were required to leave the campus. The school also has suspended an assistant coach who appears to have become personally involved in the altercation.
It is important to note, as often is the case in such matters, that conflicting versions exist about who may be responsible for the actual events that occurred. Paramus Catholic administration is committed to working with the authorities as the truth of the matter is determined, and will address individual disciplinary issues directly. However, because of privacy and confidentiality concerns, no further public announcement about any student discipline or personnel decisions will be made. School administration is maintaining regular communications with all parents in the Paramus Catholic community to keep them informed of developments as information is verified, and will continue to do so in the days ahead.
The safety and security of all students at Paramus Catholic, as well as the commitment to providing excellent academic instruction, remain the highest concerns of the administration and faculty of Paramus Catholic High School. We ask that the media at this time respect those commitments and, most important, the privacy of the 1,350 students while those charged with finding the truth about this altercation continue to investigate and verify the facts.